Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”   My study Bible says that “God knew us long before we were born or even conceived. He thought about you and planned for you.  When you feel discouraged or inadequate, remember that God has always thought of you as valuable and that He has a purpose in mind for you.”

The Bible is very clear that God has a plan for us and he created us with the abilities to fulfill whatever that plan might be. Satan has an agenda to keep us from performing what God had intended for us.  Satan plants the seeds of insecurity, low self-esteem, unworthiness and even fear to stop us from completing what God intended. He may use parents, siblings, teachers or employers to put us down.  It seems he finds ways to discourage and defeat us, but only if we allow it.  Most people live lives with God-given gifts that they have never developed or used.  What would the world be like if we all sought God’s intended plan and we used our talents to go with it?

If you were to assess your life so far, who has made the greatest impression on you, God or Satan and his emissaries? If you have allowed Satan to determine your life’s direction do you think you may have missed something?  The fact is most of us never believed that God made us special or had anything to do with who we are.  Some may understand that God has a plan for their life but they choose their own purpose and direction.

Over the years I have offered employees promotions to management positions.  Almost without exception they asked: “Do you really think I can do that?”  My answer was always:  “If I didn’t think you could do it I would not be offering you the opportunity.”  It reminds me when God asked Moses to lead His people out of Egypt.  Moses started making all kinds of excuses. It’s as if Moses had no faith or trust in God and he was allowing his perceived inadequacies to limit his potential. Are we any different than Moses?  However, God assured Him that He would tell him what to say and promised to guide him in his confrontation with Pharaoh.  We read in Romans 9:17 – “For Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’”  There are a number of Scriptures that tell us God has a plan for both believers and non-believers.

Have you ever wondered if you could overcome the fears you deal with, what are you really capable of doing? The American dream is still available to those who realize that it won’t be given to them; we have to prepare and then earn it.  I have read many books on the power of positive thinking.  I have studied management principles and went to numerous work-related seminars to improve my skills.  The one book that has helped me the most is studying the Bible. Scripture convinced me that I could do all things through Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible helped me to deal with my unworthiness, inadequacies, fears, etc. After studying and reading the Bible for years I was convinced God had a plan for me. In addition, I could expect the help from the Holy Spirit Just as God had helped Moses.  I realized my purpose was much different and significantly smaller but, God cared about me as he does you.

One thing I learned was the importance of preparation that the Apostle Paul continually stressed.  It was the key to success.  I learned the seriousness of trusting in God’s promises.  I became aware that the Holy Spirit was given to us that we might have confidence and comfort in what we were doing, a guiding hand to do it well and a purpose in life.  God had opened doors through which we could chose to enter. Yes, there were times that doors slammed shut and probably kept me from going in the wrong direction.

Have you lived most of your life believing that everything was up to you?  Did you realize that the more problems you faced and the more you overcame was God allowing you to build character and perseverance?  Did you face situations realizing that God knew what you were facing? Did you ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through it so that you might learn by the experience?  Or did you get mad at God for allowing it to occur as many sometimes do?

Life can be more gratifying when we know that what we are doing is what God had intended we do.  God’s plan may be that you are a Christian mom or dad to your children or even grandchildren.  It may be the influence you could be as a sales clerk waiting on customers with the right spirit.  God didn’t plan that we all would be potential presidents or senators. However, if we are doing God’s plan I am sure it is something that we really enjoy doing.  Always remember, if we are living our life to please God, in doing so, He will make sure His intended plan is being accomplished regardless of what we end up doing.